Robinson Family Papers

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wife (the widow Chase) lived on the farm

If the whole 290 acres remained unsold it would be worth quite as much as the present 160 acres with the improvement

Daniel Chase jr whom Mrs Swanson nursed & brought up was a feeble child & when he got sick in the army his great desire was to get home to mother & she took care of him in his last sickness while the Knowles paid little or no attentioin to him. She justly feels that it is not right that they should now step in & take his property but she wants it to go to us. I have left the business with Mr Manchester to let me know if anything appeas favorable to us but I do not expect it.

All send love to you

Your Affectionate Bro,

John H Byrd

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Leavenworth Kansas Feb. 28, 1864

My Dear Sister Rachel

Your kind letter of this month with $10.00 enclosed was duly received. I have not yet heard from Timothy since his departure but I do not aprehend that he will meet with any trouble on the route.

James is well and as far as I know is contented he almost awlays comes in of evenings & sits with us & reads. He takes a great deal of interest in reading the papers & also Sabbath school Books. He also goes to Meeting with us. He has evidently set out to be a steady worthy man.

Timothy is however my model man. I do not know as I shall

ever see his equal. I am in hopes he wil return & get employment in this region this summer & I think he will do so; but James thinks he will get such promotion there that he will remain.

You wanted to hear some particulars about [underline]our estats in Michigan[/underline] Betsey became the legal heir on the death of Bro. Thomas' child. She could have sold or willed it to whom she chose. On her death her son became her heir & he owned the property just as really as if it had been his Father's or as if he had bought it. He could have sold it or willed it to whom he chose. But on his death without will & without father or mother or [own?] brother or sister the law gives it to the heirs of the ancestor from whom he received it. Now his mother was this ancestor. Brother Thomas was not his ancestor

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for he was not the one from whom he received the estate. In law a man's ancestor is thy one from whom he heirs property. So Bro. Thomas was not his ancestor in law nor indeed in blood but his mother was his ancestor & the law gives the estate to her [strikeout]her[/strikeout] heirs.

I am sorry the young man did not make a will & give it to Mrs Swanson & her children. She was a kind mother to him while the Knowles family slighted him and I received the impression that they acted towards him as if they was displeased because his mother married again & then took the property out of their family & they are well satisfied that it has come back to them again.

Daniel Chase after the death of his wife sold 80 acres of the land by leave of the Judge of Probate but neither Chase nor Swanson & his

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[in left margin] we want to here from you wer disappointed in not meeting some

[upside down] of you at Farmhouse

[right side up] & there is sicknes at so many of the neighbours they hardly know what to do. I have staid with them one day but have not been as well as comon & felt that I had need to stay at home last night. Seneca was taken dizzy & quite unwell. not at meeting to day. Lydia only kept school three months was not very well & tryed to do housework at her fathers & was [clere?] down so that she had a docter several times. she was over here several days had some blisters drawn which I attended to. she is better. went last week to Rahway N Y to visit where she taught a famaly school. Andrew Holmes has been sick about three weeks. we understand he gose out the door now & that they have another man sick there now Henry [Hurl?] but he came there from the cars sick. I believe I have told thee his sister Elizabeth was sick there 6 weeks the forepart of winter. the rest of our friends now in usual health as far as we know.

Peter Dakens wife made a request [strikeout]to[/strikeout] for her self & two children (girls) to be received into membership with us. she said that altho a member of the Methodist Episcapal church she believed it her duty & for fear of affending her & in the love of the gospell she made her request & we believed her sincear in her request and they wer received. we aprehend by the signs of the times that some day Lydia [Arny?] Daken will be L A Maccomber. my sheet is nearly full. Rufus joins me in love to all thee children & thyself Sarah A Hazard

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North Ferrisburgh 3d mo 13th 1864

R B Stevens

Dear cousin: I cant read all the time & have been quite at a loss to know what [strikeout]what[/strikeout] to set myself about this afternoon but finely thought it was time thee heard from us. I have not much pleasing news; for sickness or trouble of some kind seems to prevail; no more than our portion amongst Friends I think our meetings have been more in the life & appearence of unity this winter than usual; at our Monthly Meeting before the Quarter we could hardly get representatives that thought they could go; on account of the travling or something else. Rufus & I thought we could'nt get any one to stay here besides it looked hard for me to go on the stage but finely George Marand came & took care out door & in the hous & we started seconday evening went to burlington started the next morning at four fell in company with Abby Jane & Lucy Dean at S [?] [Albiens?]T

Stephen Green & Joshua had gon the day before Lucy not expecting to go untill she heard the stage went on runners. we had to hire a team from Cowens Vill which with paying [underline]discount[/underline] made our journey expensive but we had a good meeting & we wer not sorry we went. we wer only four days from home. there was none from [Penue?] except some of B Macombers famaly. it would not seem right for a Q. Meeting to be onley one preparative meeting; but the other meeting wer barely represented. our last Monthly Meeting was at Lincoln. Rufus & I went in a waggon. the travling not so bad as we expected no others from here & but few from Monkton. Joshua Deans children wer sick at the time. I believe are well now; I never knew so much sickness about here as this winter. several children died & one aged woman Samuel Siples mother she was a friend. Esthers babe was very sick when we returned from Quarterly Meeting. they thought he

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would not live. the Dr told some of the neighbours he thought the child could not live his bowels wer bloated seemingly as large as the skin would hold & his stomach wouldnot bare food. he didnot cry of notice much for several days. since he got better he is very playfull & lively. when I saw him last 2 weeks ago she could pin his [band?] (which goes the whole length of his boddy) 6 inch smaller at the lower edge than sometimes but he bloats yet. Esther has weened him. uses a bottle & gives the milk half water. Seneca & wife are seeing hard times this winter. I think if they had good help Achsha would have got up prety well but I think they have had five different girles since the babe was born & been without any some of the time. Seneca is very good to do housework & seems to bear all very patiently. last week the babe was very sick. the Dr said something like Dipthera only on the lungs insted of the throat. Achsha is very nervus & much alarmed not willing to stay alone & they have no girl

I too, deemed it a special favor to be paroled, when I was, though there has been one or two more cargos, since then one having arrived here and another being expected now, so it seems the "flat" refusal of the ribs, is of little account. I have, what I receive as [underline]unquestionable[/underline] authority for beleiving that two hundred pounds of powder were placed under the ten hundred Officrs, confined at Libby Prison; that a slow match was connected with the train and a soldier was stationed, with fire to apply, on the arrival of Kilpatrick or on any signs of an outbreak among the victims. All comunication between the several floors, was cut off by removing the stair cases, and a Guard was stationed in each ward at night to prevent any "tunnelling." Though the explosion did not take place, the rashness of the "Corn-Techs" will fall heavily on their own [Krews?] for the Officers and men will be the most desperate men it is possible to find, when they are at the front again.

which was a work of [underline]time[/underline] be called business. My place as Sergeant is retained in the Company yet, but until I am exchanged I cannot tell of my detail at Hd. Qrs. though I think Cap. Galt, if he returns to duty will wish for me again. I have a foolish Idea that I am [underline]rather[/underline] necessary to him, in his business. Night before last was as severe a night as I have seen for three years and the four inches of snow which fell there is with us yet tho' to-day's sun makes it [?] some. From thy tell, the old neighborhood is all broken up, from what it was when I left it "So [mote?] it be" I suppose. I may as [underline]well[/underline] say: by thy accounts wages are high, as well as other things. Tim. is welcome to be a Prisoner of War as soon as he chooses to be, though my experience there would induce me to "Flock to his rescue" as soon as I could raise force enough to do so with any prospect of success.

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I need write no more of the semibarbarities threatened by those who were in power over us in Richmond. If I come home ever, I can tell some things of which I should not wish to even [underline]hint[/underline] in writing. I got the draft which Thomas so kindly sent me and find the funds, it procured for me, very agreeable, and useful; for the Box and its contents, I shall Thank you all when I receive it; till then, will not attempt. My appetitie is very good & I do not fear to gratify it as what I eat has [?] desired effect, viz. appeases hunger, and increases my flesh & strength and has no bad effect. My Valise need not be sent to me, as I have no need of the things in it at present. I had sent to the Div. for the things, because I thought if they were there, I would prefer to have them when I could use and care for them. I was Ironical when I spoke or wrote of being so busy here, unless eating, which [underline]was[/underline] a [underline]weighty[/underline] employment and sleeping

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I do not think thee is right in thinking my mind is soured against Friends, though I [underline]do[/underline] think they acted unwisely and inadvisedly in my case as well as, in the case of Macomber & Dakin.

I did not received thy letter to Richmond only this one, of Mar 1.th [?] it. If I am ever there again write [underline]more[/underline] frequently, as they are just as likely to go through, and only one in three or four are supposed to get there at any rate, I did not get Henry's, either. Three of Ann's and one from Mary were all I received by mail, I believe.

The needle book will be a good investment if I only get it as I have some sewing to do: the Sanitary Commission has furnished me with needles & thread though. In consequence of my fever & exposure my head is as bald as Grandfathers used to be, but I can see that the new hair is in prospect, so I am not quite an old man, yet. There are some twenty-one or twenty-two Vt soldiers here now, all of whom have made application for furloughs, but those who were here when I came applied a month before so I think my chance is in the distance, yet a while, at least.

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I got a letter from Charlie Newton last night telling me of his [underline]reEnlistment, furlough & marriage[/underline]. In regard to the first, he is muddled; respecting the second, he was again clear, but of the third, I can only say he is a fool and she, a ninny.

No female will ever marry me after giving me [underline]three final dismissals[/underline], and she has done this to him to my personal knowledge. [underline]Once[/underline]before the war and [underline]twice[/underline] since he came out. I will close now.

"Thy" dutiful son

W. B. Stevens, [P. P?]

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R. B. Stevens E. Montpelier Vermont U.S.